Three parameters that describe the magnitude or strength of a wave are which?

Three parameters that describe the magnitude or strength of a wave are which?

• A. Amplitude; Power; Intensity
• B. Frequency; Wavelength; Velocity
• C. Length; Area; Volume
• D. Speed; Temperature; Pressure

Answer: (A)

The magnitude or strength of a wave is described by how big the wave is and how much energy it carries. The best trio for describing this is amplitude, which is the height of the wave; power, which is the rate at which the wave transfers energy; and intensity, which is the power per unit area where the wave is observed. Amplitude directly reflects the wave’s size; larger amplitude means a stronger wave. Power tells you how much energy is moved by the wave each second. Intensity combines power and how that energy is spread in space; for the same power, energy spread over a larger area has lower intensity. In many waves, intensity scales with the square of the amplitude, so increasing amplitude increases strength noticeably. The other choices mix properties about how a wave moves (like frequency, wavelength, speed) or include geometric or unrelated quantities (length, area, volume, temperature, pressure) that do not measure the wave’s strength.

The magnitude or strength of a wave is described by how big the wave is and how much energy it carries. The best trio for describing this is amplitude, which is the height of the wave; power, which is the rate at which the wave transfers energy; and intensity, which is the power per unit area where the wave is observed. Amplitude directly reflects the wave’s size; larger amplitude means a stronger wave. Power tells you how much energy is moved by the wave each second. Intensity combines power and how that energy is spread in space; for the same power, energy spread over a larger area has lower intensity. In many waves, intensity scales with the square of the amplitude, so increasing amplitude increases strength noticeably. The other choices mix properties about how a wave moves (like frequency, wavelength, speed) or include geometric or unrelated quantities (length, area, volume, temperature, pressure) that do not measure the wave’s strength.